Story Photos

Our friends and news partners at Willamette Week have the enviable task of judging some of Portland’s best restaurants and picking their favorites. On Wednesday their much-anticipated restaurant guide will hit newsstands.

Be sure to pick up the guide and check out their website for much more on Wednesday, but in the meantime WW shared a sneak peak at their prestigious awards to whet your appetite.

Most Adventurous: Castagna

While Castagna has been around for more than a decade, they have a new executive chef at the helm.

Willamette Week says that Chef Justin Woodward is making some of the most adventurous food you’ll find in town. His specialty is getting creative with whatever ingredients are in season.

His herbs also come from the restaurant’s own garden.

“I really like to let the product come in and let the product show its way to the plate,” Woodward said. “What we do, there’s so much passion behind it, so when it’s recognized it feels great.”

Best Restaurant – Runner up: Ava Gene’s

Ava Gene’s in Southeast Portland serves Italian fare, but the WW critics loved that they could order six courses and not see a single tomato.

The pasta dishes are made to order and feature local, seasonal ingredients.

The restaurant is so personal for owner Duane Sorenson that he named it after his 11-year-old daughter.

“I’m really proud to have lived in this neighborhood, for my children to have grown up in this neighborhood and continue to give to this neighborhood something special,” Sorenson said. “I’m really proud of it and I’m going to continue to do it.”

If Sorenson’s name sounds familiar, it’s because he already firmly established himself in Portland lore when he founded Stumptown Coffee Roasters. He also owns The Woodsman Tavern and Roman Candle Baking Company.